‘Blue Beetle’ Director Was Ready to Pitch a ‘Bane Origin Story’ Film When Warner Bros. Called About a DC Movie

After shooting the Taylor Swift documentary Miss Americana, deconstructing another pop icon in Brooke Shields was an organic segue for filmmaker Lana Wilson. The director is up for a Primetime Emmy nomination in Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program for the Hulu/ABC News docuseries Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields.

Blue Beetle is here!

Give the waning days of the old era of DC movies at Warner Bros some credit for going out in style. I might have been something of a dissenting voice, but I thought June’s big-screen The Flash, despite disappointing some fanboys and at the box office, was a winning affair, a step above most superhero fare. And now I can say the same for the first cinematic attempt at bringing Blue Beetle to life, a much better movie than its August 18 release date might indicate.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Is comic-book movie culture reaching a tipping point…into peak exhaustion? This summer, we’ve seen signs of that in the ho-hum box-office returns for “The Flash” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” To be fair, the mega-success of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” has testified to the genre’s continuing appeal. Still, there are onscreen indicators that the superhero-movie audience, while it remains vast, might be entering the thrill-is-gone zone.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Will “Blue Beetle,” the latest DC superhero adaptation, knock down “Barbie” at the domestic box office? It may be a closer-than-expected race between the two Warner Bros. releases for the top spot, despite “Barbie” entering its fifth weekend in theaters. “Blue Beetle,” starring Xolo Maridueña as the alien symbiote, is targeting $25 million to $32 million in its debut.

Barbie‘s dream house full of box office keeps getting stuffed with cash with the Greta Gerwig-directed Mattel doll adaptation becoming the highest grossing Warner Bros. movie ever in the studio’s 100 year history at the domestic box office with $537.4M, unseating previous champ, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight which made $534.9M back in 2008.

Angelique Jackson Amid the ongoing Hollywood strikes, Warner Bros. and DC Studios launched “Blue Beetle” on Tuesday night in Los Angeles with a star-free “fan screening” in lieu of a splashy blue-carpet premiere. Despite the fact that the film’s actors — including Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez and Oscar winners Adriana Barraza and Susan Sarandon — could not attend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, there was still plenty of fanfare outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

In what is poised to be a case of Warner Bros beating itself for the No. 1 spot at the box office this coming weekend, the studio’s new DC superhero title, Blue Beetle, is poised to halt Barbie‘s three-weekend streak with a $28M-$32M opening. Barbie, meanwhile per industry sources, is looking at a $22M-$24M fourth weekend, -30%. Through Monday, the Greta Gerwig directed Mattel doll feature counts $531.2M.

Angel Manuel Soto is a filmmaker who directs to capture specific, authentic experiences, especially if they relate to his heritage. Born in Puerto Rico, many of Soto’s earliest short films – including several non-narrative works such as “The Second Line: A Parade Against Violence” – as well as his feature directorial debut, “La Granja,” contrast a pride in his Latin roots against the inequalities that come with it.

Bruna Marquezine is without a doubt one of the rising talents in Hollywood. Born in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, the 28-year-old actress started her career as an actress at the young age of 8.

The oft-repeated phrase: DC Studios, Warner Bros, and the DC brand have taken a beating within the last 12 months and arguably longer. The company hasn’t had a real hit since “Aquaman” (2018) and basically faced seven bombs or underwhelming showings in a row outside of “Joker” (2019) and “The Batman” (2022), which are arguably Elseworlds pictures outside the scope of the main DCEU.

McKinley Franklin editor The first reactions to DC Studios’ “Blue Beetle,” starring Xolo Maridueña, are flying in, with early viewers calling the film a “huge surprise.” While some of the reactions quibble with parts feeling shaky or playing things a bit too silly, they mostly praise the film’s action, heart and specific touchstones to Latino culture. The film, which hits theaters on Aug. 18, follows teenager Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) and his encounter with an alien relic that attaches to his body, bestowing the adolescent with extraordinary powers.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery is getting into the spooky spirit early, setting the Halloween-themed programming slate for its cable networks, which includes the linear debut of Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” as well as new and returning specials and film marathons across Food Network, Discovery Channel, TNT, TBS, TCM, Travel Channel and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. The leader in Warner Bros.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Latinos were optimistic about making a great stride in representation in the summer box office season with films like “Blue Beetle,” the first superhero movie directed and written by and starring Latinos. However, writers and actors aren’t able to promote their projects during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as guild members advocate for new contracts.

2023 has not been a great year for DC superhero films. Well, 2022 wasn’t that great either.

“Blue Beetle” is a milestone film for the superhero genre. Within the narrative of the DCU, Blue Beetle himself is the first hero to be brought aboard by James Gunn and also the big screen’s first Latino lead superhero.

Unlike last August which was totally lacking product after Sony’s Bullet Train, the month looks to keep chugging even as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue and many talent not permitted to promote. Recently, Warner Bros/DC’s Blue Beetle hit tracking with an eye on a $30M start when it opens on Aug. 18.

With the state of the film and television industry in disarray, as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue to ensure better pay and treatment for writers and actors, the future theatrical release schedule continues to shift. While certain fall releases have already been pushed, August has remained largely untouched.

“Blue Beetle” is a milestone film for the superhero genre. Within the narrative of the DCU, Blue Beetle himself is the first hero to be brought aboard by James Gunn and also the big screen’s first Latino lead superhero.

“Barbie is really important for us,” beamed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav on the conglom’s Q2 earnings call about the first pic to hit $1 billion under his reign.